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Lisbon Cruise Terminal

General presentation of the project

The new Lisbon Cruise Terminal involved Amorim Cork Composites, Secil and ITeCons in the development of a new type of lightweight structural white concrete, incorporating cork, that is used in the building’s façades. The new compound made it possible to reduce the weight of the building’s structure, while maintaining its strength, and also improving its comfort and energy efficiency due to cork’s thermal capacity.

During the design phase of the new Lisbon Cruise Terminal, the need for a lightweight structural concrete was identified - to reduce the weight of the building’s structure without undermining its strength. It was decided to use natural cork granulates as a lightweight aggregate solution.

During the design phase of the new Lisbon Cruise Terminal, the need for a lightweight structural concrete was identified - to reduce the weight of the building’s structure without undermining its strength. It was decided to use natural cork granulates as a lightweight aggregate solution.

Project Objective

Project Objective

The development of the new cork concrete solution was produced through a partnership between Amorim Cork Composites, the Cement Applications Development Centre (CDAC), Secil, the Institute for Research and Technological Development for Construction, Energy, Environment and Sustainability ( ITeCons) of the University of Coimbra and the design team of the new Lisbon Cruise Terminal, which tested and gauged the composition of the new compound, in terms of its structure, lightness, thermal benefits and architectural impact.

“Therefore, we have resistance capacity and insulation capacity in relation to the exterior - in the summer and winter. In addition, this concrete solution is very soft to the touch, due to the incorporation of a great amount of cork, and is 40% lighter than regular concrete.”

Carrilho da Graça

The beauty of architectural concrete

The working group concluded that lightweight structural white concrete, incorporating recycled natural cork granules, met all the design requirements, by striking a balance between the concrete’s mechanical strength and bulk density, while guaranteeing a high-quality finish, insulation and durability as well as the desired colour - since the project required white-coloured concrete.

Combining the strength and beauty of architectural concrete with the lightweight, durability and thermal insulation of cork, the lightweight white structural concrete solution, incorporating recycled natural cork agglomerate, applied at the Lisbon Cruise Terminal is lighter, more environmentally friendly and sustainable than traditional concrete solutions.

“I think that cork will tend to be used more and more, because it has unique characteristics. I was recently doing some research about the cork cell and it’s quite amazing. We can leave a bit of cork under a stone weight for centuries and as soon as we remove it the cork progressively returns to its initial shape, which is truly astounding. No other natural material can achieve this and I also don’t know of any artificial material. I think cork is extraordinary!”

Carrilho da Graça

About the project

Designed by the Portuguese architect, Carrilho da Graça, the new Lisbon Cruise Terminal, inaugurated in November 2017, has 13,800 m2, distributed across three floors, and has 360 public parking spaces and 80 parking spaces for buses and other tourist vehicles. The new terminal is designed to serve 1.8 million passengers per year and has a quay with capacity for ships of various types and sizes with a draft of up to 12 metres.